Overview
- Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday told ICE agents in New York to stop wearing masks and outlined a budget deal that would cut local ties to ICE, require warrants at sensitive sites, and create a right to sue federal officers.
- The plan would end or block 287(g) agreements, which let county jails and police perform some ICE duties in civil immigration cases.
- State budget officials said Democrats aim to pass the package as part of the 2027 budget as soon as next week.
- White House border czar Tom Homan warned he would “flood the zone” with more ICE agents if New York limits cooperation, and a Homeland Security official argued the policy would put residents at risk.
- A court fight now looks likely, with a California ruling against mask bans as a backdrop and Nassau County’s executive pledging to sue to preserve his county’s ICE pact.